The Popocatepetl Volcano, almost 30 miles south of Mexico City,
erupted yesterday (December 18, 2000) in what authorities are calling
its most spectacular eruption since 800 A.D. This morning, Popocatepetl
(pronounced poh-poh-kah-TEH-peh-til) continued spewing red-hot rocks as
well as a column of smoke and ash about 2.5 miles high into the
atmosphere.

This true-color image of the volcano was acquired today by the
Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) flying aboard the
OrbView-2 satellite. In this image, Popocatepetls plume (greyish
pixels) can be seen blowing southward, away from Mexico City. There is
a large cloud bank (bright white pixels) just to the east of the
volcanic plume.

Although Popocatepetl has been active since 1994when it awoke from
a 70-year slumberthis most recent eruption is most concerning to the
greater Mexico City regions 20 million residents. The volcano
demonstrated what it can do in 800 A.D. when it belched forth enough
lava to fill many of the valleys in the surrounding region.

Earlier, scientists warned the citizens of Mexico that there is a
dome of lava at the base of the volcano that is causing pressure to
build inside. They are concerned that, if it continues to build
unabated, this pressure could cause even larger eruptions in the future.